Why is Yom Kippur so important?
Yom Kippur is a serious and introspective day spent fasting and praying for forgiveness, and resolving to do better in the coming year. Another name for the holiday is Yom haDin, the Day of Judgment, when God judges all of the actions and intentions from each individual’s year and decides the fate of the person in the coming year. Q: When is Yom Kippur? A: On the Hebrew calendar, Yom Kippur is the 10th day of Tishre. It is 10 days after Rosh Hashanah, the start of the Jewish calendar year, capping the Days of Awe, a time of reflection and repentance. It occurs around September or beginning of October on the secular calendar. Q: What do people do to observe Yom Kippur? A: Yom Kippur is observed by adults fasting from sundown to sundown, refraining from work, and spending the day involved in communal prayer and repentance. There are also prohibitions which include drinking, bathing, wearing leather and sexual relations. The focus is meant to be on prayer only. At sundown, the Shofar is b
